Happy Duolingo Anniversary to Me

As we all know, the pandemic has forced us to spend most of our time cooped up at home. At first, I found myself in a state of hibernation, trying to avoid the reality of the situation. But eventually, I realized that I needed to shake things up and add some non-work, non-musical activities to my routine. That's when I stumbled upon some apps that helped me fill in some knowledge gaps I knew I had.

Elevate was a lifesaver, especially when it came to my lack of mathematical skills. Lumosity was also pretty great, but my absolute favorite was Duolingo.

As a self-proclaimed Francophile, I've always had a soft spot for the French language. Despite having a decent foundation from my experiences living outside of Montreux and growing up with Québécois neighbors and relations, as well as four years of French in school, I've always been a bit apprehensive about speaking it fluently. That's where Duolingo comes in.

Inspired by my fiancée (who has an impressive seven-year streak running), I decided to give the app a try last summer. I thought it would be a good way to keep my mind busy and active while my fiancée was away visiting family.

And let me tell you, it's been pretty great. I'm not saying that Duolingo will turn you into a fluent French (or Spanish, or Russian, or...) speaker overnight, but with each lesson, I found myself expanding my vocabulary and discovering grammar rules I'd been butchering for years.

I know it might sound a bit cheesy, but today's congratulatory message from Duolingo was truly heartwarming. I'm still not where I want to be with my French, but reaching the 365-day streak mark feels like a huge accomplishment. Merci beaucoup, Duolingo!